Painfully Close
by LycoRogue
Summary: Tikki is at her wit's end trying to deal with this Love Square fiasco, and things at the wax museum certainly didn't help matters. * * A companion story for "Puppeteer 2" that contains episode spoilers


***Author's Note***

I recently re-watched "Puppeteer 2" with the English dub, and... well... I'm kind of enraged with Tikki KNOWING that Chat Noir is Adrien and KNOWING that the girl Adrien loves is Ladybug (aka - Marinette). So, I thought it was time to see things through Tikki's perspective. I'm sure things are frustrating on her end too.

So, how about a companion story: a glance at "Puppeteer 2" through Tikki's POV?

. . .

****SPOILER ALERT: ****This is a companion story to "Puppeteer 2" and thus has spoilers for that episode.****

. . .

* * *

**~ Painfully Close ~**

* * *

She was so close. They both were. They would have still had to deal with the complexity of not knowing each other's superhero personas, and so there would be a remaining hurtle, but still. They were both just so close.

Tikki was beginning to understand Plagg's exhaustion around Adrien and this whole fiasco with their respective love interests. Why is it that Adrien loved Ladybug instead of Marinette? Why couldn't Marinette love Chat Noir instead of simply Adrien? How did things get so complicated?

Tikki wasn't a fan of Alya trying to push the issue; strong-arming Marinette into confessing when she wasn't ready. At the same time, though, Tikki knew the headache Alya was working with. She wanted to just push Marinette to confess as well. Love didn't work that way. Marinette didn't work that way. One could only push her so far outside of her comfort level before the girl crumbled. The only reason being thrown into the role of Ladybug worked out was because Marinette was protecting people.

They didn't have that safety net for the romantic chaos swirling around Adrien and Marinette. Tikki didn't want to think about the scenario Hawk Moth would have to corner them into for Marinette to confess to Adrien as a means of protecting someone.

No. Marinette had to made the decision herself. She has to overcome her own fears. Alya's schemes weren't going to do any good. In fact, they seemed to only cause more problems than they were worth.

Still, they had both gotten so close. Marinette had a moment alone with Adrien after Alya came up with a brilliant excuse to leave Marinette behind. If only she hadn't freaked out Marinette first by demanding the poor thing confessed to Adrien. The potential couple could have had a really sweet moment, like when Marinette hid him from his fans, or when Adrien visited to practice for the gaming tournament, or even when they danced at Chloé's party. If only Alya had let things happen naturally.

Even when worked up, Marinette did confess to loving Adrien, only to panic and over-compensate in trying to hide how important to her he truly was. Tikki flinched in Marinette's purse as she heard her holder scramble to backtrack.

They were so close.

While hiding in the bathroom, Marinette stated how tired even she was of not being able to tell Adrien her true feelings. She was ready. Sort of. That fear of rejection; Tikki understood. It was a painful fear at any age, but particularly sharp when it was someone's first love. If only she could reassure Marinette that Adrien was already in love with her; he just didn't quite realize it yet.

Sometimes Tikki hated the magic preventing kwamis from revealing the names of holders. She understood the reasoning behind it. That way if any of them were captured – like Nooroo was – they wouldn't be able to reveal who the others were. It was a way to protect the Miraculouses and their holders. Even so, it was beginning to make Tikki's head hurt watching those two constantly miss each other.

"You're overthinking it," was the only advice she could truly give. "You should try pretending to play a role."

"Like I'm acting in a play?"

Marinette wasn't that great of an actress, but it was better than nothing. She was able to let a new part of her personality shine as Ladybug. To Marinette, she and Ladybug were practically two different people. Maybe she could do the same with her shy self and a more confident one that she could show Adrien. It was better than nothing.

"Yes! And you're playing a super cool character who isn't afraid of anything!" Tikki knew Marinette couldn't act fully like Ladybug while outside of the costume, it would be too dangerous. What if someone would be able to figure out her identity? However, perhaps a new character with similar traits could help. Tikki never expected how poorly the suggestion would turn out.

Marinette, upon seeing what she thought was simply a wax statue of Adrien, began to confess in the most over-the-top manner that Tikki had ever bared witness. At first, Tikki didn't interrupt Marinette, because, maybe the girl just needed to get it out of her system. Maybe if she was so ridiculous that even she would find the confession silly, then her actual confession wouldn't seem so bad.

But boy, was it ever painful. Tikki first cringed as she heard Marinette take a deep whiff of the 'statue' and was grateful that it truly was just 'wax'. Except, Tikki didn't recall part of the process being the additives of scents to the statues. Didn't the other figures simply smell bland, like standard wax?

"Your wax is so soft. Your yak-hair is silky. Your eyes are so green."

A single yellow strand of hair drifted into Marinette's purse. It was shiny and glossy. While it truly was silky soft, there was something about it that felt off to Tikki. She didn't recall seeing yak hair before, but this strand seemed too close to Adrien's actual locks to be fake.

"Oh no!" Tikki whispered as she threw the strand away from her. The whole time she had felt the presence of another human nearby, but she just assumed it was Manon playing, or Alya watching her best friend. Tikki now realized how close that presence was. Marinette was talking to _the_ Adrien, wasn't she? Oh! Tikki certainly couldn't show herself now! She had no way of stopping Marinette. She just huddled in the corner of the purse, hiding her face.

"Oh, shall I be a statue too? Everything would be so much easier." Marinette continued, and Tikki's only solace was that Marinette was speaking almost Shakespearean. She truly was acting as if she were in a play, and perhaps that could be her saving grace?

"Why haven't we been molded together in the plaster of destiny? Marble to marble. Wax lips against wax lips-"

_No! _Tikki wanted to cry out. _Oh no! Marinette, please stop! I was wrong too. Alya and I were both wrong. Go at your own pace, but please stop!_

"Entwined for eternity."

Tikki held her breath, and then heard Marinette sigh. Assuming Marinette's confession was complete, Tikki also sighed. She released her breath too soon.

"Whoa! Eternity sounds like a long time!" Adrien screamed, and Tikki got jostled in Marinette's purse as the girl leapt back.

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki shook her head as she muttered within her hiding space. "It _was_ the real Adrien the whole time, wasn't it? I'm so sorry."

As the teens sat in silence, Tikki thought two things: one, that Plagg will have a field day with this whole fiasco, and two, that maybe Adrien's kindness and understanding of Marinette's embarrassment would give her the confidence to have an honest confession with him. Tikki hoped beyond hope that the latter was possible when Adrien broke the silence.

"Were you serious when you were talking to the statue? I mean, me as a statue."

"Yes," Tikki whispered. "Come on, Marinette, say yes."

"Serious? Me?" Marinette squeaked before giving a fake laugh. "You've gotta be kidding. I'm the queen of pranks!"

So. Close.

"Why, Marinette?" Tikki shook her head again. She understood that what Marinette did was embarrassing, but Adrien wasn't judging her. Just like how he didn't judge her for all the pictures of him. Even before Marinette came up with the lie of using the photos as fashion reference, even when he might have suspected it was because Marinette had a crush on him, he didn't judge. If only Tikki could get Marinette to realize that Adrien, while he might not realize he returned her feelings, would at least gladly accept Marinette's love. It would still be an uphill battle to get Marinette to realize her feelings for Chat Noir, or Adrien to come to terms with his love for Marinette, but at least Marinette wouldn't have to hide her love for Adrien anymore.

It hurt Tikki's soul a little bit that things were such a mess. She fully understood the hand gestures Bunnix used when describing Ladybug and Chat Noir's relationship. Tikki just hoped that it ended with the two of them getting together before things got too out of hand.

"So you didn't really mean all those things you just said?"

Tikki's heart ached. Adrien was practically pleading for Marinette to tell him no, that she did indeed mean them. That softness in his voice. Even if Adrien wasn't secretly (so secret even he didn't realize it) pining for Marinette's affection, he at least was taking care to let her know that her feelings would be appreciated if true. He wasn't going to mock her for them. He was going to take great care with her heart, even if he couldn't return her feelings (yet). It was very much how Chat Noir was with Marinette when he thought she was in love with that half of him.

"Why can't you see that you'd be safe to tell him?" Tikki groaned as Marinette again rambled about joking and how she was role playing.

"If I'd feel anything for you it wouldn't be like for that statue. Rather like for a regular human being."

"Marinette," Tikki softly whined to herself, "what does that even mean? Why can't you at least admit that he's a dear friend of yours?"

"Oh-kay, so as I _am_ a human being, you must still like me a bit then, right?"

"That's right. I like you a little bit, just like a regular human being."

Tikki groaned. So much for Marinette trying to play a part in order to confess; she'll never use that tactic again.

Marinette has to just go at her own pace, Tikki decided. She will let him know eventually, or she'll eventually accept Chat Noir's advances. Maybe Adrien will realize how he feels for Marinette and confess to her instead. This couldn't possibly last forever, right?

Marinette has to go at her own pace. The more Tikki or Alya tried to push her, the worse things got with her and Adrien. She couldn't even properly talk to Adrien after Alya and Tikki got her flustered about confessing.

Then again, other pushes did have positive end results. Alya literally pushing Marinette led to her slow dance with Adrien, and Alya repositioning their hands literally brought the couple closer together. Alya pushing Marinette to just tell Adrien how she felt before he went to London lead to her writing the love letter. Granted, the letter lead to an akumatized villain, and Adrien bringing Marinette medicine from London, but one could argue the latter also brought them closer together as friends.

Maybe the awkward confession would also bring them a bit closer. It even looked promising when they jointly broke the uncomfortable silence between them.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed the statue, but I didn't know it was you, and if I had it wouldn't have been a prank-"

Tikki perked up. "Could this be it!?"

"-because I-"

"No, no." Adrien interrupted.

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?_ Tikki wanted to scream. _Let her finish!_

So close! Marinette had been so close! She had worked up the courage to ramble off her confession. It wouldn't have been sweet or romantic, but it would have been out there. It would have been the silver lining to the gray cloud that was Marinette's confession to the 'statue.'

_I'm starting to understand Plagg's frustration with this kid, _Tikki thought.

At least Marinette and Adrien could still laugh and joke with each other now that the initial tension was broken. Maybe they could go back to how they were before Marinette got so flustered, and before Adrien thought she was mad at him. Maybe they could again learn what it meant to truly be friends. Tikki could live with that. They needed to know true friendship first anyway. They needed to be able to rely on each other outside of their costumes.

"I know. I'm not good with jokes." Adrien's voice broke into Tikki's thoughts. "The girl I'm in love with doesn't like them either."

"Oh no!" Tikki pressed against the lining of the purse. She couldn't have heard him right. "Say it's Ladybug at least! Tell Marinette you're in love with Ladybug! At least confess that much!"

He didn't. He knew better than to say that much, and Tikki respected him for it. However, now she had a whole new problem to try to defuse.

They were so close, and now they were how many steps backward?

"You heard him." A few minutes later, while in her room again, Marinette had her hand poised at her corkboard of Adrien pictures by her bed. She was ready to rip them all down and give up on Adrien. "Adrien's in love with another girl, and me? I'm just a friend."

_He's in love with you!_ Tikki wanted to scream. _Ladybug is the other girl! _It hurt her that she couldn't say anything. Her friend was in pain, and Tikki couldn't say anything to ease it. Anything except for one bit of vague advice.

"Oh, I'm sure life has many surprises in store for you, Marinette!" Tikki just hoped the surprise of who Chat Noir is, and that Adrien had always been in love with her, would be revealed far sooner than later. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of this dance, of those two just barely missing each other.

"Yeah." Marinette did seem to perk up a touch, so there was that. "That would have been one very silly first kiss anyways."

If only she knew. If only Tikki could tell her that Marinette and Adrien already had their first kiss, twice over. If only she could let Marinette know how great of a couple her and Adrien truly could be.

They were so close. Always so close.

Yet so painfully, maddeningly, unbelievably far away.


End file.
